I had a good meeting with Matt Rodda (MP for East Reading) this afternoon. We talked about the plans that we have for the RCCP over the next couple of years, and what Matt can do to help us out. Of particular interest:

As we update the Reading Climate Change Strategy next year, we can identify regulatory barriers that are blocking our progress on energy saving and preparing for climate change. Matt will be able to help push for changes through parliament.

I talked about the need to develop an Adaptation Plan for Reading. This will give us a vision for how to keep people and businesses safe and able to thrive, given the challenges of climate change and the future weather extremes that will will face. I also talked about the Zero Carbon Reading plan. Together these should give us an optimistic vision for the future of our town.

Matt is the Shadow Minister for Transport, and we had a good discussion about how we can work together to influence more sustainable transport in Reading. This includes promoting cycling and bus use. We also talked about the importance of locating community infrastructure (e.g. swimming pools) so they are easily accessible by public transport…possibly reversing trends that prioritise access for private car parking.

Finally we discussed RCAN, and the need to make sure we get our messages across to communities and businesses across the whole of Reading. There are challenges here, which Matt can help with through his constituency work. Hopefully by sharing information on events we will be able to promote what we are doing to a wider audience.